Hawaii Taps the Ocean to Generate Carbon-Free Power

September 15, 2015, www.takepart.com | “The world’s most abundant source of energy is solar—the sun shines everywhere—and most of that potential power falls on the ocean. Now, a Hawaii-based company has built the world’s largest power plant to harvest that energy from the ocean and convert it into electricity. The 105-kilowatt ocean thermal energy conversion demonstration plant went online last month in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island. It cost about $5 million to build and only generates enough electricity to power 120 homes. But the project is a big step toward a future where ocean thermal energy could replace carbon-spewing fossil fuel power plants.”

Oceanic heat exchange technology, different than wave power.
The ocean thermal technology heralds a new wave of renewable energy projects.
www.takepart.com
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First Nation builds spirited solar project in the heart of Canada’s oil sands

August 28, 2015, inhabitat.com | “One of Alberta’s biggest solar projects has been built in one of the most unlikely places—the heart of Canada’s Peace River oil sands. The Lubicon Lake Band aboriginal community launched the Piitapan Solar Project, a 20.8kW renewable energy installation in Little Buffalo, Alberta. The inspiring 80-panel solar project was developed in a bid to create more green jobs and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. ”

Ami Linden shared a link to GoodNews FortheEarth‘s Timeline.
An aboriginal community in Alberta has turned to solar in their fight against tar sands oil development.
inhabitat.com
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10 States Leading the Clean Tech Revolution

June 22, 2015, ecowatch.com | “What’s the state of clean technology in America? Think renewable energy (wind, solar, hydro power, etc.), adoption of electric vehicles, green building and many other factors. As shown by this new nation-wide index, some states are rising above the pack compared to others.”

STATUS REPORT: “11 states now generate more than 10 percent of their electricity from non-hydro renewable energy sources, with three of these states—Iowa, South Dakota and Kansas—exceeding 20 percent.”
Clean Edge, a clean-tech research firm, has released their annual US Clean Tech Leadership Index, ranking all 50 states for their clean tech efforts.
ecowatch.com
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7 million Arctic Defenders, Greenpeace and First Nations communities fight to stop Arctic drilling and defend our coast

Robert Brothers shared a photo to GoodNews FortheEarth‘s Timeline.
Robert Brothers's photo.

“All I have is my voice, my body and the truth I speak. I can’t do this alone.
We — 7 million Arctic Defenders, Greenpeace and First Nations communities — will stop Arctic drilling and defend our coast and our climate.”
— Audrey Siegl (sχɬemtəna:t), Activist and Artist, Musqueam Nation & Greenpeace
Stand with me, as I face off against Shell and join the movement to save the Arctic.

“Facing such a massive machine from a tiny boat is terrifying, but I believe – and I bet you do too – that we all have a duty to do whatever we can to protect our sacred lands and waters. Shell may have money and massive machines, but the people united are more powerful.
Up until now Shell has tried to ignore the voices of millions of people around the world who have said yes to Arctic protection and no to Arctic drilling. But they won’t be able to for much longer, because instead of sitting idly by while Shell forces its way into the Arctic, regular people, like me, are saying enough is enough and creating an international spotlight on Shell’s drilling plans.

In April, six activists boarded and occupied Shell’s drill rig, the Polar Pioneer, for 7 days in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
In May, hundreds of kayaktivists gathered in Seattle to protest Shell’s Arctic drilling fleet.
On Monday, Greenpeace USA activists bravely paddled their kayaks out to Shell’s monster rig and formed a human blockade in front of it preventing it from leaving the port of Seattle!
And today, just when Shell thought they had a clear path to the Arctic, with your help, we were ready, and waiting.

Today I’m accompanied by the Greenpeace ship Esperanza in the Pacific Ocean on the west coast but I am here on behalf 7 million of people calling for the renewable solutions that already exist.

Because of regular people, like you and I, we’ve made it impossible for Shell to sneak up to Arctic waters and drill quietly. The movement to save the Arctic has made Shell’s drilling plans front-page news.

But the reality is that Shell could start drilling as early as July 1st, we need to do everything that we can before then to stop this madness before it starts. Please keep standing with us this summer, as the movement grows. This won’t end today, together we can take on Big Oil!

nə́c̓aʔmat tə šxʷqʷeləwən ct
We are of one heart and mind

Audrey Siegl (sχɬemtəna:t)
Activist and Artist, Musqueam Nation

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Pope Francis Slams GMOs and Pesticides for Environmental and Social Damage

June 16, 2015, sustainablepulse.com | “On the subject of GMOs Pope Francis states; ‘It is difficult to give an overall judgment on the development of genetically modified organisms (GMO), plant or animal, for medical purposes or in agriculture, since they can be very different and require different considerations.  Although we do not have definitive evidence about the damage that transgenic cereals could cause to humans, and in some regions their use has produced economic growth that has helped solve some problems, there are significant problems that should not be minimized.”

Kevin Phillips shared a link to GoodNews FortheEarth‘s Timeline.
Pope Francis slams both GMOs and pesticides in a draft of his major environmental document that was leaked Monday. He has also called for the financing of…
sustainablepulse.com
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France Bans Sale of Monsanto Herbicide Roundup in Nurseries

June 14, 2015, www.ndtv.com | “French Ecology Minister Segolene Royal announced today a ban on the sale of popular weedkiller Roundup from garden centres, which the UN has warned may be carcinogenic. The active ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate, was in March classified as “probably carcinogenic to humans” by the UN’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).”

Ami Linden shared a link to GoodNews FortheEarth‘s Timeline.
French Ecology Minister Segolene Royal announced today a ban on the sale of popular weedkiller Roundup from garden centres, which the UN has warned may…
ndtv.com
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This ancient Egyptian practice can cheaply purify dirty water

June 13, 2015, www.sciencealert.com | “The seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree have been used to purify water and clean crockery since the days of ancient Egypt, but up until now scientists weren’t sure exactly how they worked. Thanks to a new paper published in the journal Langmuir by researchers at Pennsylvania State University, part of the mystery has now been solved.”

Jin Maju

The seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree have been used to purify water and clean crockery since the days of ancient Egypt, but up until now scientists weren’t sure…
sciencealert.com|By ScienceAlert Staff

North American scientists call for end to tar sands mining

June 10, 2015, www.theguardian.com | “More than 100 leading US and Canadian scientists called for a halt on future mining of the tar sands, saying extraction of the carbon-heavy fuel was incompatible with fighting climate change.  In a letter published on Wednesday, the researchers said tar sands crude should be relegated to a fuel of last resort, because it causes so much more carbon pollution than conventional oil.”

Robert Brothers shared a link to GoodNews FortheEarth‘s Timeline.
More than 100 US and Canadian scientists publish letter saying tar sands crude should be relegated to fuel of last resort, because it causes so much pollution
theguardian.com|By Suzanne Goldenberg
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Organic farming is financially-sustainable worldwide, study finds

June 10, 2015, www.csmonitor.com | “A recently published meta-analysis of 44 scientific studies shows that organic farming is not only environmentally sustainable, but also financially competitive when compared to conventional farming. Organic sales grew 170 percent to US$63 billion from 2002 to 2011 worldwide, but the analysis’s authors note that organic agriculture currently occupies only 1 percent of global cropland. The good news is that there is room for organic agriculture to continue to spread, and the authors predict that profitability of organic farming will continue to outpace conventional models.”

Kevin Phillips shared a link to GoodNews FortheEarth‘s Timeline.
Organic agriculture occupies just 1 percent of cropland across the world. While organic sales continue to grow, a study has found that organic farming is…
csmonitor.com|By The Christian Science Monitor
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Oregon farms – Close Enough to Cities to Feed Everyone Locally

June 5, 2015, photos.oregonlive.com | “Oregon farmers are close enough to city centers to be able to feed the state’s population entirely locally, says a new study.”

Robert Brothers shared a link to GoodNews FortheEarth‘s Timeline.
Oregon farmers are close enough to city centers to be able to feed the state’s population entirely locally, says a new study….
photos.oregonlive.com
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